CallataGuidesBusiness phone system for home health care agencies in Boston, MA-NH
Home health care agencies in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area: 620 establishments in 2023, the local area codes, and what phone service costs a 42-person team.
- Establishments
- 620CBP 2023
- Employees
- 26,123mid-March 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 12.3U.S. 12.0
- Rank
- 13th of 743areas by count
How many home health care agencies are in Boston, MA-NH?
County Business Patterns counts 620 home health care agencies (NAICS 621610, Home Health Care Services) in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area for 2023. They employed 26,123 people in mid-March and paid $1.2 billion in annual payroll. By establishment count the area is 13th out of 743 areas with published figures for home health care agencies.
Measured against its 5.0 million residents (2024 estimate), the area has 12.3 home health care agencies per 100,000 people; the U.S. rate is 12.0, so Boston, MA-NH is 2.9% above the national figure. The average establishment here has 42.1 employees, compared with 39.7 nationally. Payroll per employee comes to $46,354, 21.7% above the national $38,091.
| Measure | Boston, MA-NH | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 620 | 898 | 40,762 |
| Mid-March employees | 26,123 | 41,799 | 1,618,759 |
| Annual payroll | $1,210,903,000 | $1,756,849,000 | $61,660,393,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 42.1 | 46.5 | 39.7 |
| Payroll per employee | $46,354 | $42,031 | $38,091 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 12.3 | 12.6 | 12.0 |
Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Team sizes at home health care agencies in Boston, MA-NH
Of the home health care agencies in Boston, MA-NH that had employees in March 2023, 27.7% had fewer than five (the U.S. share is 35.7%). 39.3% had fewer than ten. Small teams usually share the phone: the person who answers is often also serving a customer or doing the job, which is when calls get missed.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 171 | 27.7% | 35.7% |
| 5–9 employees | 72 | 11.7% | 11.8% |
| 10–19 employees | 63 | 10.2% | 14.8% |
| 20–49 employees | 141 | 22.8% | 20.2% |
| 50 or more employees | 171 | 27.7% | 17.6% |
Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Calls a home health agency in Boston, MA-NH has to catch
Home health agencies coordinate clinicians in the field with patients, families, physicians and payers, so the office phone is a dispatch line as much as a reception desk. Clinicians need to make calls from their own cell phones without exposing personal numbers.
A few of the calls that come in to home health care agencies in Boston, MA-NH:
- A patient calls to report a missed visit.
- A hospital discharge planner calls with a new referral.
- A family member calls to ask what time the nurse will arrive.
What home health care agencies text about
Agencies use texting to confirm visit windows with patients and families.
Texts sent from a local business number in Boston, MA-NH have to be registered with carriers first (10DLC); on Callata that is a one-time $49 fee, after which the whole team can text from the shared number.
Callata vs. per-seat pricing for home health care agencies in Boston, MA-NH
The average home health agency in Boston, MA-NH has 42.1 employees, so a 42-person team is a reasonable benchmark. Priced per seat, 42 users would run $1,260.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $1,047.90 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $839.00 a month for 42 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.
Over a year, that is $5,052 less than RingCentral for a home health agency in Boston, MA-NH of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $839.00 | $10,068.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $798.00 | $9,576.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $966.00 | $11,592.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $1,047.90 | $12,574.80 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $1,134.00 | $13,608.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $1,260.00 | $15,120.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Local area codes for home health care agencies in Boston, MA-NH
NANPA records place the exchanges of the area's named cities and towns in 8 area codes. 781 has the most, with 763 of 3,063 exchanges (25%). A local number lets patients and families in Boston, MA-NH call without dialing out of area. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, and which numbers are open in an area code depends on carrier inventory when you choose.
| Area code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 781 | 763 | Eastern | 1997 | 339 |
| 978 | 642 | Eastern | 1997 | 351 |
| 617 | 635 | Eastern | 1947 | 857 |
| 508 | 282 | Eastern | 1988 | 774 |
| 857 | 278 | Eastern | 2001 | 617 |
| 603 | 203 | Eastern | 1947 | none |
| 774 | 163 | Eastern | 2001 | 508 |
| 339 | 97 | Eastern | 2001 | 781 |
Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.
Setting up Callata for a home health agency in Boston, MA-NH
For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.
Porting a number you already use in Boston, MA-NH is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.
AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.
Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.
Frequently asked questions
How many home health care agencies are there in Boston, MA-NH?
Census County Business Patterns counted 620 home health care agencies in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area in 2023. They employed 26,123 people in mid-March.
What does a business phone system cost for a 42-person home health agency?
At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 42 users cost $1,260.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $1,047.90 on Ooma Office Pro. On Callata, $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user, the same team pays $839.00.
What area code should a home health agency in Boston, MA-NH use?
Area code 781 has the most assigned exchanges among the area's named places, followed by 978 and 617. If you already have a local number, you can port it to Callata for free.
Can an AI receptionist answer calls for a home health agency?
Yes. Callata's optional AI agents can answer when the team is busy or closed, take a message, text, email or transfer the call. They disclose that they are AI and are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute. Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.